Waltz of the Dragon
by S e r p e r i o r
Summary: -DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE- This story will remain up for those who want to read it. A new girl named Kagome transfers into Duel Academia, and perplexes the ingenious Kaiser to no end. But above everything, he is aware of a secret she tries so desperately to hide—and wishes to exploit what her smile conceals. KagRyo


**Disclaimer**: Nothing but the idea(s) belong to me.

**Author's** **Notes**: If you had already come upon this story in the past, and are confused, please check out my profile. Yes, this is many chapters mashed into one! Unbeta'd and raw, same as it was the day it was taken down by me. Sorry for the inconvenience, but this story is up here merely to hold its place until one day I come back for it. It is for the few who may wish to read it. That is my excuse for this one-chapter glob of a discontinued story. Either way, enjoy! ^_^

**Navigation Tip**: Press "CTRL" + "F" and type in "Chapter Three" if you wish to jump to that chapter. "Chapter Four," "Chapter Five," and so on.

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_**Waltz of the Dragon**_

© x0SilverFeathersx0, 2005

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**Chapter One: The Duel Academy**

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Deep chocolate orbs scanned the field occupied by a single monster called Uraby, which was accompanied by another card behind it facing down. The dinosaur's master was a grown man dressed in blue, and he too seemed to be in a trance of concentration. Glancing once more over the thin pieces in his hand, he made up his indecisive mind and slapped down Wasteland; the effects taking place immediately.

"Just a little boost for my star, and this," the smirking male informed, "Invigoration!" His second magic card arose in the form of a golden sphere emitting rays of multi-colored light, and merged with his lone dinosaur. The scenery had changed drastically earlier from white tiles to a barren, devastated area. With the two different effects, Uraby's attack shot up to 2100, while its defense was lowered to 600. Extending his arm forward, the proctor commanded, "Make use of your teeth!"

Roaring mightily, the creature complied, and charged at its open prey. The defenseless victim could do naught but conceal her face behind crossed arms, and bare against the explosive impact which pushed her back a good few inches. Her life points sank down to a mediocre amount of 800, and it was now her turn. Unveiling her soft features, she drew from her deck—and got something great too, judging by her reaction.

Grinning she stated, "It was fun dueling with you, but now it's got to end. I'll first put in a face-down, and then summon Harpie Lady!" A human-shaped animal with gorgeous wings materialized in the altered arena, unleashing a shrill cry to announce its glorious arrival. "Then I'll equip her with Cyber Shield, which brings her attack up to 2100."

"You still don't have enough to take me down, missy," the man pointed out.

"I'm not done yet," protested the female duelist. "I play Elegant Egotist! Say hello to the sisters." Now there were three humanoid monsters, each accessorized with shining armors fit for female embodiment. In total, the unity's attack points were 2450 and defense 2100. Sharp screeches bounced off the walls in the gigantic dome, and several people in the audience covered their sensitive ears to try and block out the noise. "Go, Harpie Lady Sisters!"

The siblings obeyed and leapt toward their target, but the inspector bellowed, "Here's a surprise: I activate Windstorm of Etaqua!"

His trap card flew up, but at that moment so did the arm of his opponent. "I don't think so—you've just triggered my Trap Jammer!" She quickly discarded a card from her hand into the graveyard, and the man's attempt was countered; the forming vortex of violent winds being reduced back to nothing. Deeming its reptilian hide open game, the trio of winged beasts ganged up and successfully annihilated their prey, forcing it to shatter; fragments of digital images flying in the air. Her proctor's life points were completely drained from 300 to 0. "Alright!" the joyous girl cheered, palms clapped together in front of her chest.

Shutting his mouth which had been open agape, the inspector nodded and notified, "Examination duel complete; congratulations, you're the winner."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," the girl thanked with a slight bow. She wore what would have been appropriate for labeling as the Osiris Red's version of the female Obelisk Blue's attire. Identical top, skirt (showing just as much), boots and all, the only exception being that red had replaced navy in the color scheme. Having come in as a transfer student, no matter how well she'd passed the written and second exam, she was to be placed in the lowest rank and rise up the ladder. Pulling herself back into a straight stance, she turned and allowed her curious eyes to sweep across the audience for a short moment. There were many seats spread about the dome, but only one-third or so occupied—those who'd been interested in watching the new examinees try out.

A few souls caught her wandering attention: a male brunette with a hairstyle that reminded her of a hawk; another sporting a head of ebony spiking out in a manner that defied gravity; an intelligent-looking boy dressed in yellow; and a blonde female clothed in blue leaning against the railing above. Next to her stood a masculine figure in matching uniform, his locks of indigo at a neck's length. Rather unlike the others, his presence seemed to demand reverence on its own accord, and she could recognize that even with the distance between them. It reminded her of a certain egotistical _pompous_ from the past—and entertained with the very thought, she smiled sincerely at him. As expected of the proper young man, he was unfazed by her unseen and silent, friendly greeting; sapphire eyes narrowing by the tiniest centimeter.

Asuka was definitely far from ever being oblivious, and questioned, "Interested?"

"No," replied her friend, "but I sense… something odd about her."

Their current subject, the dark-haired victor below, made her way out of the now abandoned arena; Chronos scurrying over to most likely praise and tell her of his magnificent Obelisk Blues. If her performance on both the tests had turned out as brilliant as they _appeared_ to have—if the professor's actions were of any indication, and counting the recent duel—then she could expect possibly getting her rank in the academy promoted rather soon.

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**Chapter Two: Meeting the Blizzard Prince**

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"Higurashi Kagome-san," the blonde teacher drawled, "that was a wonderful display, turning the tables so smoothly in one turn. And your written exam was nearly flawless, only a few marks wrong!"

Smiling nervously at the oncoming praise, the girl scratched her cheek. This instructor certainly looked a bit odd (or unique, if you prefer) compared to the other everyday ones you'd imagine. His head of lemon was styled in the classic bowl cut, with a long ponytail at the back. He wore the navy outfit she'd seen multiple students at the academy garbed in, except his was decorated with pink frills. What a clash of colors. Adding to those traits were lips highlighted by streaks of violet.

"So I'm here to congratulate you on the job well done! Keep up your excellent work ethics, and you'll be promoted to Obelisk Blue in no time!"

Snapping out of her silent inspection, the transferee nodded and grinned, replying, "Arigatou, err—"

"Professor Chronos de Medici!" bellowed the man proudly, straightening his collar.

Kagome tipped back ever so slightly from the sudden outburst, but regained her footing soon after. Again she beamed good-naturedly, preferring to to stay in the oddball teacher's good graces. She was just a clueless newbie in the brand new world her feet had stumbled into, and he would suffice as a steady wall to lean on for now. The wise advice she had long ago been given reared its head: "_When in doubt, smile and nod_."

So she resorted to carrying out both gestures, and they appeared to be working fabulously; the academician happily informing her of his beloved Obelisk Blues. "… and that's that. I expect to see more of your bright mind around, Higurashi-san!"

Staring at the retreating figure's back, the relieved girl pondered, "_Is everyone here so… flamboyant_?"

There were only two examinees left, struggling for their rights of passage into the school of dueling. Kagome couldn't watch and view their progress, courtesy to the tall lilac walls hiding them, but from the sounds of it one was about to experience a horrifying defeat. The female transferee found it hard to comprehend how a person could lose a match here (seeing as how the proctors purposely used decks with barely any firepower) but remembered how she too had been quite close to getting knocked down. "_I knew I shouldn't have stayed up finishing that novel…!_"

Drowsiness had had her going downhill in the beginning, until later when she mentally slapped herself out of it. From then on was when she had gotten down to business; claiming every possible chance to nip at her opponent's life points. After that she had summoned the Harpie Lady—and yes, well, the audience knew the rest. A close behind the back win for Higurashi Kagome!

Dismissing the thoughts regarding other duelists, she strolled toward the dome's exit. Not everyone was talented in the playing of Duel Monsters, anyhow. Presently, all that mattered to her was that she'd successfully aced the tryouts—and _impressively_, as the colorful character Chronos had implied. Within her mind the young woman jumped around doing cartwheels and roaring mightily in triumph (all at the same time!); while simultaneously acting on the outside like a behaved, mannered lady.

In normal school subjects such as Math and Science, Kagome didn't do so well. Despite that she had always had an interesting knack for card games. "What a bright future she has," her younger brother would often tease, earning himself a friendly sister to brother _whack _behind the head.

Pushing through the heavy doors that would allow her out, she sighed blissfully as the familiar smell of trees and grass wavered through her nostrils. As silly as it were… how she loved the scent, and the generous winds that brought it to her. Unbeknownst to her, she was currently the hot topic of several dialogues.

"She looks pretty amazing—I can't wait to duel her!" Judai exclaimed jubilantly, fists stationed in front of him passionately. His eyes burned with the flames of youth and enthusiasm, as Sho and Hayato inched away from the growing heat they felt emanating from their roommate.

Manjyome the only Osiris Red garbed in black, arms crossed, scoffed, "I don't get what's with the fuss. All she did was slide away at the last second."

Contributing his two cents, Daichi stated, "At the start she was going down rather quickly, but slowly rose to victory after that phase. It was extremely lucky for her that the right cards were in her hand by the final turn. She must have been biding her time to get a good hand together, while strategically going about ways to keep her life points in tact." The Ra Yellow opened up his left palm, and traced lines on it with his right pointer finger as if it were a pen. Sometimes he really did over think things a bit, but the results were usually accurate or right on target.

"I'm still not buying it," the dark-haired boy snorted. "Luck was on her side, _so_ _what_? A single duel proves nothing, and she just happened to get by on pure fluke." Perhaps the prince was merely being his usual self, or maybe he was correct. Another possibility was that he didn't relish the idea of another "prodigy" (if the new girl turned out to be one, that is) coming into the academy. That would just create more troublesome obstacles for him and his path to being the ultimate number one.

Outside elsewhere, Kagome wandered around campus, absorbing the vast scenery of the wilderness and several buildings. She'd been informed earlier that for the students who passed the exams, their prepared luggage would be delivered by a jet and dropped off at their dorm before the day's end. That same vehicle when it arrived, would take home the kids who failed and were not able to get into the institute. In the meanwhile there wasn't much else to do, so she stuck to exploring.

In her self-guided tour she'd seen three different dormitories: the first one sporting a blue roof which was large and looking extremely extravagant; second, yellow and smaller, yet still promising of abundant luxury; third, red—and a sheer disappointment in comparison to its predecessors. Obviously the last housing was where she would reside, and her face had fallen from the disappointment of reality. Oh dear, the cons of being a new kid.

"Well, there _is_ a great view of the sea," the impressed girl murmured to herself, "and the interior can't be that bad."

Traipsing aimlessly across an empty field of clean cut emerald, various things entered her mind: ranging from high hopes and goals she could make, to more despairing ideas. Above everything, she first needed a buddy, or an acquaintance—or _anyone_, as long as they would speak with her. Heck, even an imaginary friend would do, as long as it seemed real to _her_.

Kagome too was human after all, and her species required socializing with others to keep _sane_. Of course that was pushing the buttons with more pushing than they needed, but it was how she felt. The blunt translation: "I don't want to be alone… somebody talk to me!" At times conversing with yourself was a bad habit, because you could unwittingly poison your mind against you. "Mmm… maybe, just maybe… did it seem like I was showing off back there? Could be since I w—AGH!"

A meager, unseen ditch in the ground had interrupted her lone conversation, catching onto her right foot and causing her physique imbalance. Both arms and unactivated duel disk attached flailing helplessly in the air, she appeared right about ready to fall unceremoniously into the flourishing patch of beryl. Her upper body tilted dangerously forward and she shut her eyes, preparing for the impact. However, instead of the earthy blow, she felt two callous hands swiftly grab her waist in the nick of time, and expertly pull her back into place.

"Hey there, are you alright?" questioned the voice of a kind, energetic young man. He broke the physical contact between them.

Pausing to blink several times in confusion, Kagome then straightened her posture and turned. "A-arigatou," she thanked, dipping into a respectful bow and rising back up. Her savior clothed in threads of white and blue, had brown hair which was sporadically arranged, with a large portion trailing the upper part of the nape of his neck. His orbs were filled with a matching shade, and shined with the illumination few males his age possessed. They glinted playfully, and behind the façade, hinted of a childish soul which had never departed.

"My pleasure," the grinning boy responded. "But I've never seen you around campus—although I _was_ gone for a while."

Smiling she replied, "It's because I'm new here. I just finished my second exam less than an hour ago."

Snapping his left finger in realization, the stranger asked, "By chance your name wouldn't happen to be Higurashi Kagome, would it?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh… really?"

"News travels fast, but don't worry, they're not defaming you. And," he continued simpering, "for one, you _are_ pretty cute."

Mouth slightly open but not uttering a word, the Osiris Red found her cheeks speedily gaining warmth. She must have looked under the weather, because the male brunette cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you sick?" he asked obliviously, to which the given answer was a mute, rapid shaking of the head. "Well then, going on to the more important details, I am Duel Academia's Blizzard Prince, Tenjouin Fubuki!" He dramatically pointed up at the sky (most likely to emphasize his surname which had the meaning of "heaven" in it).

Regaining her composure, the girl (tints of pink still staining her complexion) stated with a friendly smile, "Just so I properly introduce myself, I'm Higurashi Kagome." Ludicrously enough, it were as if fate had delivered right to her doorstep what she'd been asking for: a friend. At least, she hoped that this new acquaintance would become one. He shared a trait with the professor she'd met earlier, Chronos—they were _both _rather out there in comparison to normal people… or what _she _knew as "normal" anyway. She wondered what other surprises this duel academy had in store for her.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Borne is the Queen of Osiris**

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Flipping open her large brown suitcase, Kagome hummed several different tunes as she scanned over her belongings, before walking around and placing them where they ought to be in the room. Gathering her toothbrush, paste, shampoo, towels and other bathing necessities, she skipped to the bathroom. The cheery essence emanating from her soul filled the wide capacity of her personal den with a pleasing warmth.

One would not be able to understand why she was abruptly so happy, unless given the information that she'd just consumed a whole packet of sugar to make herself so. If you asked her personally out of curiosity, she would most likely reply: 'I just am!', for she didn't know why either. Was it because of the lively Obelisk Blue Fubuki, who had saved and then chatted spiritedly with her—or perhaps the cause was the girl's arranging of her recently transported items.

Either way whichever you preferred to think of as the reason, they both worked and were the answers. She was glad to have gotten to meet the playful, and so called Blizzard Prince of Duel Academy, who honestly wasn't as emotionless as his title implied. Kagome had pondered on that for a short time, and wondered why a fellow like him would want to go by such a reputation. She'd guessed and concluded that it probably had something to do with his card deck. Getting acquainted with him had put some spice in her first day at the institute, and she'd learned some interesting things too—regarding both people and otherwise.

Fubuki had spoken of his beloved younger sister named Asuka—who was in the same year as Kagome—along with a number of boys. The female Tenjouin resided in the blue dorms, and was apparently among the top duelists around. Then there was the third year Obelisk named Marufuji Ryo, known as the big guy on campus—or Kaiser. His brother Sho, an Osiris Red, differed greatly from his brother, especially when it came down to their skills and clashing personalities.

Finally up was Yuki Judai, a youth who was talked of quite a bit. The ones who gossiped badly of him would crudely point out that he was a slacker, horrible student, and never took anything seriously. But when the coin was flipped, he would be commended as having potential, a good heart, and honorable faith in his cards. All of them really did sound interesting to hear about.

As for the latter explanation to why Kagome was in such a blitheful mood; she was a girl who naturally loved organizing things around the house. And anything else that involved constant motion at a relaxing pace. The Higurashi swore she was the victim of an unidentified disease, which either forced her to keep moving, or crumble into a lazy mess on the sofa. For her body, it was always one of those options. Grabbing all folded articles of clothing out of her unfastened luggage, she sauntered toward her oak dresser to stow them away.

After sliding in the drawer containing her garments, she straightened up and stared into the attached mirror ahead. Making her head perform a quick flick to the right, the girl watched as her inky black bangs shifted obediently into the position she desired. Then her gaze lowering, caught sight of the technologically impressive duel disk; unactivated and sitting innocently atop the wooden furniture. Her spread hand unconsciously reached forward, and rested its palm over the life point reader, concealing it. The tips of her fingers could feel the solid texture of her stacked cards beneath, and Kagome smiled fondly in remembrance.

"These cards have been with me for a long time now," she vocalized in a hushed tone. As if a spirit within the deck had taken it upon itself to reply, a familiar screech reverberated in her delicate human ears. Immediately recognizing the shrill cry without doubt, the duelist grinned and nodded. "Un, you're right. We're gonna be together till the very end." Turning away to revert her attention to the suitcases lying in the center of her room, she gripped the multiple handles at once, and was about to relocate them, when a knocking pierced the silence. "Who could that be," she muttered, a tad annoyed as it was rather late.

Opening the door, she found two boys before her suited in crimson. "Hey, let's have a match!" the taller one exclaimed heatedly, flashing the duel disk fitted on his left forearm. His smaller companion looked just as confident, but had obviously tagged along only as an audience. "Well then, how about it?" the kid who had spoken earlier demanded again.

"Listen you," Kagome said, arms crossed, "if you want to challenge me, pick an appropriate time and schedule it beforehand. You can't just come up m—"

"Intimidated?" the male Osiris taunted obnoxiously. "I heard you were pretty good, but those rumors must be lying. Probably some amateur who got by on a fluke… " He'd dirtily whispered the last sentence, barely loud enough to be perceived. It didn't matter to him that he had little right to say such things—being in the lowest ranked dorm—and desired to provoke and mercilessly overcome the sole female Osiris.

Jaw dropping in reaction to the insult, it shut back swiftly, and the glaring girl scoffed, "Fine I'll duel you, and you're going to _eat those words_." Blinded by rage and the need to back up her pride, she'd fallen for the bait unaware; hook, line and sinker. The next few moments were but a blur, as she collected her necessities and followed the pair of students out. Kagome hadn't changed out of her new uniform yet, and therefore had nothing to worry about physical-wise. It wasn't like she was going on a date anyway. Her room was located on the second floor of the building, so the trio stealthily went down the flight of stairs and readily into the clearing. Little did they know, their actions did not go unnoticed by a certain dark-haired character.

"Let's duel!" the competitors chorused. Duel disks ready, lighted, and life points set, they drew five cards.

"Alright, I'll invoke Blue-Winged Crown, and that's it!" announced the cocky male. Bluish white flames burned fiercely at his will, and gave birth to a bird with hair shaping what its name depicted.

After drawing her card, Kagome took all of hers into consideration before placing three on the field. "I summon Harpie Girl then activate Mountain, and place a face-down." A glamorous creature emitting a golden glow emerged, as the surrounding area morphed unnaturally into a different region. Its attack and defense both rose from 500 to 700. "My turn's over."

"I'll crush that thing easy—but first, I sacrifice my monster as tribute to call forward Parrot Dragon. Then I add onto its already enhanced stats, Dragon Treasure. Now, destroy!" The aerial beast, its attack points menacing at 2600, charged as his master directed.

"I think you've forgotten," Kagome yelled, "about my trap card, which I use now: Astral Barrier!" The said object flipped up, and instead of Harpie Girl, the giant green predator crashed into its master. Life points dwindling to 1400, it appeared to be a foolish move. The doe-eyed female drew from her deck and grinned, in spite of the situation. "I play Brain Control, which will let me take over your bird for one turn until the End Phase, at the cost of my own 800 life points, bringing it down to 600. Then I summon Harpie Lady 1, whose special effect raises the attack of all wind monsters by 300."

Her horrified opponent's face had terror and shock written all over it. "Oh no! That mea—"

"It means once I hit you directly, our game's over. You didn't even set a single magic or trap—depending completely on your offense, which isn't wise. And now's the time to eat your words, like I said you would," Kagome informed with a smug expression, staring at the frustrated boy. "All of you, aim for his life points!" With the combined power of the three beasts totaling at 5700, their defenseless target was annihilated; uttering a short yelp before falling to his knees. The Mountain field along with the digital creatures, shattered and dispersed.

The motionless companion in the sidelines gaped, shocked from the spectacle which had just happened.

Knuckles digging in the dirt angrily, the loser sluggishly raised his head when a pair of ankle boots came into his view. Before him stood the victorious duelist extending a helping hand toward him. After a moment of hesitation, he accepted her aid. Scrambling to his feet with a blush staining his cheeks, the strange male bowed deeply.

"I acknowledge your skills," he declared with an amazingly considerable amount of respect, "Queen of Osiris."

Kagome blinked confusedly, until she realized what he was saying. Hands before her chest with an unsure smile, she objected, "Eh? No, no—ha ha, what are you talking about?"

From the shadows against the railing, Manjyome watched the display, eyebrow cocked. Turning to look over his shoulder, he questioned, "You guys see that?" Judai, Sho and Hayato, who he had forced to come out earlier, were slumped against each other in a drowsy mess; slumbering blissfully. Baring his teeth, he resisted the urge to give them each a good whack. Then thinking back to the recent duel he noted mentally, "_Okay, so maybe the transferee's not all luck._" The boy gazed up at the moon for along, thoughtful minute. "_But it doesn't take talent to beat a red-clad goon_… _so she's a mediocre… yeah._" It was expected that his defiant heart would not give in so easily.

"Hey aniki, shouldn't you have hit the hay already?" inquired a curious apparition, who'd popped out of nowhere.

"Shut up," Manjyome commanded, swiping at his yellow duel spirit.

Below, protests and suggestions flew back and forth under the starry skies. "I'm not your, err, queen! Stop calling me that!"

"If you say so… Lady Osiris then?"

"Wha—how about just _Kagome_?"

"Princess Kagome of Osiris!" a third squeaky voice pitched in.

A groan escaped the lips of an exhausted and sleep-deprived young woman. Perhaps she never should have answered the door, and gone to bed. Unfortunately, she was more than likely to give all her teachers a bad first impression tomorrow; slumbering in their class from the prior night's lack of rest. And then they would assume her to be a bad pupil, overload her with work for paying such disrespect, and—oh, the joys of predicting the future.

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**Chapter Four: A Valuable, Lost and Found**

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"I can't believe this is happening on my first day," huffed a raven-haired girl rushing through the hallway. Her long wavy locks bounced up and down with her rapid movement, a few strands occasionally wandering into the care of a passing breeze. In one arm she carried a set of three hardcover books, while the other led to fingers holding onto the remaining piece of a once whole doughnut.

Quickly devouring the last sugary bit, Kagome sucked on the very tips of her used digits for a mere second each. The tiny spots of wetness dried off immediately, courtesy to the airflow. Her chocolate eyes glanced at large wall clock that flicked in and out of her blurry vision, and seeing that she was nearly twenty minutes late, elevated her pace. Turning a sharp corner, she did not expect to run into something—or someone, due to the time.

Falling flat on her bum—legs glued together, of course—from the solid collision, and texts descending from their clumsy launch into the sky, a groan erupted from her throat. "Ow, that hurts," she muttered quietly, rubbing her head which had been hit by one of the educational menaces. Then realizing she had a class to get to rather than crying over an accident, Kagome recollected her disturbed literary works and shot up from her graceless position. Like the fluent motion of a robot, she automatically bent down to a deep bow and speedily apologized, "I'm so sorry for not watching where I was going!" The Osiris scurried away after that, not ever having seen the other person's face.

Sharp indigo orbs, betraying no emotion and displaying a cool exterior, had followed the female duelist and her abnormal actions until she'd scampered past them. Not bothering to twist on his feet and see if she was either still there or long gone, the young man was about to continue walking forward, until an object caught his attention.

Where the girl had fallen earlier lay in her place a spotless white handkerchief, decorated with lace borders. It appeared to be wrapped neatly around whatever was inside, and out of curiosity the stranger bent down, one knee planted on the ground, to pick up and undo the rich fabric. When he discovered what it was the cloth had been concealing, the unreadable Kaiser redid the folding and wordlessly pocketed it.

"I hope this is a lesson for you, Higurashi," the tall blonde Italian teacher rebuked, unpleased. "I'll excuse your tardiness for today, since you're new, but commit that crime again and you'll have a week's detention!" All focus was on the girl seated next to Yuki Judai, panting slightly and pinkish in the facial skin from her recent sprinting.

If it'd been anyone else that came in like she just did, Chronos would've dished out punishment right away, regardless of who they were—unless the kid was famous. Out of the students who actually cared to ponder in his class, it was obvious to them that he was playing favorites like usual. Although he disliked Osiris Reds with a passion, apparently there was an exception.

Mustering up what she could of a smile, Kagome thanked, "Arigatou, Chronos-kyoyu. I'll behave better."

Certainly looking pleased with himself, the professor returned to reading out loud the script held between his hands. Resting her right cheek against the palm of the elbow propped up on her table's surface, Kagome absorbed all the given information; phrases echoing emptily in her mind. Like how a Chain was a rule used to easily determine the outcome of a complex battle resulting from a series of magic or trap cards used by both players.

The educator went on to explaining an in-depth situation that seemed quite complicated—she wouldn't know, because her hearing ability and eyelids had both eventually shut; unable to resist any longer. But the thought of being caught invaded her scattered thoughts, and she couldn't risk getting in more trouble, so the girl snapped them back open… only to lose again. The lack of rest was really taking its toll on her, and a nap was all she madly desired.

"Think you can go to sleep while I teach, do you?" questioned the voice of a severely insulted adult. "Get up, slacker!"

Mentally yelling at herself for snoozing without attempting to at least hide behind a book, Kagome's cocoa orbs parted swiftly to allow her sight, and she felt her cheeks heat up; preparing for the scornful belittlement. She noticed however—much to her relief—that it wasn't her everyone was staring at. Oh no, in fact, it was the boy _next_ to her. Now that her drowsiness had gone, she recognized him as someone familiar from the day of her final exam; the kid with a unique hairstyle that reminded her of a hawk.

His wrongdoing had already been bluntly stated, but the tactic he'd used to stealthily get by slumbering was amusing, if not cute. With a black marker he had drawn over his closed brown peepers a pair of artificial eyes. From the distance if you didn't pay him much heed, you could unknowingly be fooled.

"Aha, did you say something, Chronos-sensei?" the summoned boy inquired, scratching his cheek, before raising a hand to stifle his yawn. Every time the male brunette blinked, his fancy ink artwork flashed visibly for a short second. Not able to hold it in, Kagome brought a knuckle to her lips, trying to suppress the quiet giggle that slipped out. Grabbing his attention, the Osiris turned to see what had made the noise, and in shock said, "Hey! You're—"

"Enough!" the peeved teacher cried. "Yuki Judai, you owe me a written essay consisting of twenty-five pages, explicating _why_ it's important to stay awake in class! Especially mine!" A boyish moan of utter despair sounded in the large capacity, and the Higurashi beside its main source truly wondered how she'd safely slid past. "Without further ado," declared the cooled educator, "Will a volunteer describe spell speeds?" Scanning the crowd of students—over half of which were sitting lazily with no interest—in front of him, Chronos stopped at his latest addition. "You, stand!"

Meeting the man's direct gaze, there was no doubt he was speaking to her, and with a mute sigh, Kagome did as told. Clearing her throat, she explained, "Well, Magic, Trap, and Effect Monster Cards all have different speeds. You can only respond to a card and start a Chain by playing a card of equal or greater speed. The exception to this rule are Spell Speed 1 cards—the slowest—which can't be used against each other.

"Then there are the Spell Speed 2 cards, able to be used against another with a Spell Speed of 1 or 2. Spell Speed 2 or 3 cards can be used against them too. Lastly, the Spell Speed 3 cards can be used against any Spell Speed, and only another of the same speed may be used against it." Finished and out of breath, the female Osiris sat back down.

"Marvelous description," praised the headmaster of the Obelisk Blue. He continued reciting several lines afterward, just to drill them into his kids' brains.

From the left whispered the mirthful troublemaker, "Hey, I'm Judai! Oh and, nice speech."

"Kagome," responded the beaming transferee, staring forward so as to not draw any suspicions. "And thanks." She knew him without doubt, as one of the duelists Fubuki had spoken of the day before. It didn't come as a surprise that the chipper kid seated next to her was the one gossiped of both positively and negatively.

He appeared to be rather charming with a good personality, but there would always be those who resented people like him. The girl could tell: this was one special, one-in-a-million, chump. Unbeknownst to them, a blonde female far back at one of the highest peaks in the classroom watched their interaction, eyebrow raised.

"We have to duel sometime," Judai murmured spiritedly.

"Ha," replied the fellow Osiris, "alright, but I hope you know how to play cards other than monsters."

"Who doesn't?" he asked incredulously.

Biting back a simper, Kagome answered tersely, "Just in case."

After Chronos finished his lengthy lesson, he had informed the class that they were to review everything he'd gone over, and prepare for a test based on the Chain rule. The shuffling of clothes and sliding of books disrupted the quietude as students went to work; studying. The youthful Higurashi had already read through most of the subject last night—hence why she had such a good range of knowledge about it—before she went to bed.

There had been a few more chapters left however, so between the pages she'd slipped in the nearest possible thing; too lazy to search for a label. Now flipping through, she couldn't find the substitute anywhere within her hardcover, and started panicking.

"Is something wrong?" the boy beside her questioned, having noticed her terrified expression.

She countered, "Erm… no, I just lost my bookmark." Kagome berated herself for being so careless—how could it have gotten lost? Brainstorming desperately, she finally concluded, "_Wait a second_… _that person, who I bumped into_… " An imaginary lightbulb shook excitedly above her head. Of course! It had to have been when she'd landed on her tush, her belongings soaring through the air; wide open for unattached contents to spill out. The unseen stranger probably would have taken the dropping, but the real dilemma: what if they had no intention on trying to returning it? Groaning, the girl cursed her troublesome clumsiness.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Beach Day and Playing Hero**

* * *

"I really am worried," Kagome murmured absently, thumb trailing down the stem of a fully bloomed rose. It laid peacefully on the covers of her single bed (which she leaned onto, stomach on mattress and knees planted to the carpet); undisturbed, beautiful, and mysterious. The matured blossom had already been in its proper station to greet her, when she'd returned to her room that late morning. Wondering if it'd resulted as an error on someone else's part for sending such a meaningful gift to the wrong receiver, the girl had resorted—out of pure curiosity—to go over an imaginary list, of all the males she'd gotten acquainted with at Duel Academy.

Glowing brightest had been Fubuki, who seemed most likely, though she seriously doubted it to be him. He was charming and the type to, but they'd just met, and he didn't appear the sort to intentionally lead random girls on. It was an unsolved case, and the Osiris could do naught but stare at and softly caress the fetching present. Either way it wouldn't be a good idea to stay enslaved in the dorm all day, gazing lifelessly at an inanimate object. That just couldn't be considered healthy. Besides, Kagome's true dilemma lied elsewhere.

Retrieving her fingers to entwine them with her ebony locks, she contemplated, "About less than a week now, but still no signs of it anywhere. Why didn't I buy a bookmark back when I had the chance…?" Shutting her eyes so as to plummet into the world of everlasting darkness, Kagome picked at her memories, searching desperately for a face she'd never seen; of the shady character she'd bumped into. After completing her thirtieth attempt for the afternoon, she snapped out of her habitual stupor, and gazed dumbly at the wall. Releasing a heavy sigh, the young lady got up and traipsed to her oak dresser.

Inspecting her features and making adjustments here and there (with assistance from the large mirror ahead), the girl did not notice the yellow sticky note hung up and glaring at her, until she was finished. When she finally decided to pay it some attention, Kagome's mouth opened a bit in realization, before she swiped it off the glassy surface and brought it up to level with her chocolate orbs; adhesive strip on the back now glued to her forefinger.

"I almost forgot about this," she stated with a smile, putting the memorandum back in its former place. Wasting no more time, the Higurashi touched up her mint physical condition once more, and brushing the dust off her uniform, headed out. Securing the door and happy to hear a slight 'click' as it closed on her, she began walking towards the beach located at an edge of the isolated island. Looking back one last time at the beaten complex known as the Osiris dorm, she continued with a small pang of unease. At the moment, her biggest necessity was a lock for her room; it didn't feel nice realizing how vulnerable her privacy was.

When she swiftly got to her destination, the girl took in a deep breath, and allowed the passing breeze to play with her hair. There was sand everywhere, people and birds alike baking on them. Kagome perceived that she was the only student from Duel Academy wearing her school outfit, and felt like a giant bump on the road. No one paid heed to her from what she could tell, and so the Osiris scanned the spacious land of gold; searching for the person who'd invited her to come. The burning sun began to pester and distort her vision, so she raised and stuck her hands to her eyebrows; casting a safe shadow below.

Then she found him near the water, clothed in a bright red Hawaiian shirt and brown khaki pants; strumming a ukulele and captivating the hearts of several ladies in bathing suits. One of them passed the young man a writing utensil and autograph board; to which he cheerfully signed with his trademark sign. Kagome couldn't hear anything due to the distance and roaring waves of the sea, but there wasn't much else to figure when he pointed to the sky, said a few phrases, and caused his fans to faint.

"_That guy_… " the newest transferee thought to herself, unsure of whether she should be amused or a tad wary. Nevertheless she made her way towards the male, careful not to overexcite the uncountable grains of honey for fear of them slipping inside her red boots. The air was superbly fresh and crisp, giving her lungs something to scream joyfully about; the relaxed atmosphere causing the same effect on her soul. However, the way she stood out like a sore thumb among the other kids entered Kagome's mind again, and she came up with a mental notice: 'Next time arrive in a tank top, comfortable shorts, and appropriate footwear.'

"Oh hey!" Fubuki greeted, waving his free arm and grinning warmly at his friend once he'd caught sight of her. The adoring girls from before who'd requested his signature with hearts in their eyes were now gone, probably getting a tan to enhance their beauty, or out playing with the fishes.

The third year Obelisk looked the same, not a strand of hair out of place, as Kagome had met him days ago. And still clinging onto him as if it were rich cologne was an aura giving off bold vibrations of mirth and merriment. With an image like his and such characteristics, she could see (after begrudgingly admitting it) why females would be so attracted to him. Not that her interests were piqued or any of the sort, though.

"Thank you for asking me to come," Kagome said, beaming as the distance between them closed. A seagull flew overhead whilst cawing rhythmically, causing her to face the sky and warily watch the winged creature. Simply, she was taking safety precautions so as not to get pelted with dirty droppings. Dismissing the trivial dilemma when its source relocated itself to an area far away, she reverted her full attention just as quickly back to the youthful Tenjouin.

The brunette laughed, "No problem. Let's sit down, and why don't you tell me about how you're doing here?"

His actions were both suspicious and perplexing to the Osiris—why was he so nice to her, and what was up with him calling her out _just to have a small chat_? Kagome however didn't mind his kind guidance, and rather appreciated it gratefully, so she went along with the flow. After all, there were numerous good things in life that came without a catch, and she did feel a stab of shame for suspecting ill motives behind the boy's intentions.

So they ended up seated conveniently on the baked sands, each in their own preferred position; Fubuki sitting cross-legged, picking delicately at his ukulele from time to time while the other had her legs plastered together and curled outwards beneath her, arms behind her back to support her body posture. The gigantic orb of heat up high in the sky shined strongly, promising several more hours of light before dusk took shift.

There was no need to hurry, and nearly everyone would return to their dorms a little later than usual tonight (curfew still in count), because classes were not in session the day after. The pair engaged in absorbing conversations about various subjects like they had once had, and Kagome eventually asked the carefree Obelisk on the whereabouts of the item she determinedly sought.

"Hm," commented the young man with his chin held thoughtfully in his grip, "I haven't come across anything matching those descriptions around lately."

Kagome sighed disappointedly, "I see. Well it's not too noticeable, so I guess it can't be helped if I never find it." She drew an imperfect circle in the depths of caramel with a lone pinkie, and traced over it repeatedly; relishing the feel of how the substance crumbled from just her touch, until her exposed skin started to get irritated, by then which she stopped. Then ditching the current topic, she remembered a more recent incident, and turned to her seatmate with a cheesy expression. "Ne Fubuki, would you ever… give someone roses?"

Blinking confusedly at her, then simpering confidently, the male duelist responded, "Flowers are sweet, but too cliché to use anymore in my point of view. For you I'd suggest a method more direct—like a loveletter!"

"Huh? Oh, no no! I'm not asking for advice," Kagome replied hastily with a frantic shaking of her head and arms (quite comically). It must have seemed like she was fishing for tips on how to woo a person herself; the flustered girl's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Well, the downfall wasn't for nothing: she was now able to lessen the possibilities in her short 'Stranger and Rose' list. A non-existent 'X' checked a just as real box next to the name 'Fubuki' on the female Osiris's illusory assemblage. Not him. "I just wanted to know what you think on that kinda thing."

"Sure," the dashing brunette fed back in a casual tone, obviously not moved by her poor excuse.

"Mou, I'm serious!" Peeved by her blunt mistake and its bad aftereffects, the girl pouted defiantly and glared at the roaring ocean, as if it were its fault. Apparently, the fairly awkward moment hadn't spoiled her jolly colleague's mood though; he performed a lively medley on his musical instrument. Fans cheered lovingly from the distant background, but the tune stayed pure and steady. Then after its finale, his four-stringed guitar stopped singing.

"Seeing as it's tomorrow," he spoke abruptly, "did you prepare a costume to wear to the festival?"

Refreshed and no longer in a disheveled phase, Kagome mirrored curiously, "Festival?"

"You didn't hear about it, because the event was announced a week in advance—before you came—but the information's available at the card shop. It's a given chance for you to cosplay a monster," the Obelisk finished with a wink.

"Wow really? Sugoi! Maybe I'll ask, I was planning on dropping by that place sometime soon anyway," the ebony-haired female mused, interested. She looked to Fubuki and inquired, "Are you going to dress up?"

Chuckling, the charmer answered, "Not this year, but Asuka is—she and her friends are pulling off as Harpie Lady Sisters."

"Aw, my first choice is already taken," whined the girl. "But why aren't you doing anything?"

"Well… " the elder Tenjouin sibling started, diving full blast into his past experience.

The dying rays of the setting sun casted a luminous glow on Kagome's skin, blessing her with an ethereal radiance. She reached her destination, the card shop, and went inside; bells jingling merrily to signal the arrival of a customer. Behind the main counter stood a teenage girl fiddling with the register, garbed in a pink polo shirt and navy blue overall skirt; along with them a stylish visor to boot. However the worker didn't look so great: puffy, scarlet eyes, drooping and uncoordinated as if she hadn't had an hour of sleep in a year; her stance wavering and doubtful; shaky hands sweeping over the cash machine like a drunken chicken.

"A-anou," Kagome accosted softly, afraid the other female would pass out from surprise. But instead, as if she hadn't heard a word, the young employee did not move a single muscle, her body frozen stiff. Then she fell forward like a limp sack of potatoes, and mouth open wide, the Osiris watching sped on instinct to the endangered victim.

Feeling the light thud of another figure collapse upon hers, the ebony-haired girl sighed with relief; rescue mission successful. Leaning over, she gently gripped the suffering soul's shoulders to keep her from falling to the side, and the scene was equivalent to a couple's embrace (not including the wooden furniture separating them). "Ano, excuse me," she said, trying to coax the fainter back into reality, "worker-san?"

"Oh my, what's going on here?" exclaimed a new voice. A door accessible only from behind the counter had opened, and in front of it was now a short, plump woman, her hair in a braid and glasses balanced on her nose. She hurried forth and relieved the savior of her living burden.

"I came to buy a pack but she didn't look so healthy, and suddenly broke down," the Higurashi explained worriedly. "Will she be alright?"

Checking the girl's temperature, the store's manager (Kagome guessed) frowned deeply. "What a horrible fever—and the child actually sustained like this! I was clueless, but it can't be helped," she smiled at the student standing erect, "and thank you for being here in time—who knows what could've happened if you hadn't been here to catch her."

The Osiris rubbed the back of her head and replied bashfully, "No problem, you're welcome."

"I'll just have her skip some days off, but the trouble lies in the festival," murmured the woman, mindfully setting her employee down to sit leaning behind the counter.

Arms straight down, Kagome asked, "Why, was she a part of it?"

"Well for the Red dorm yes. Expectedly it never has as much compared to the ones of Ra Yellow or Obelisk Blue—which I must add, serves fabulous takoyaki—each year, and she had wanted to contribute a bit to the Osiris kids by managing a stand specializing in tea and dango for them. A cruel blow from fate itself, for trying to commit a generous deed… "

Considering what she'd just heard, the Higurashi went deep in thought, and came up with a crazy resolution: What if she could pose as a replacement? It would be good to help around a bit in her spare time—plus, she loved dango with tea (oden still preferred, but a close follow-up)—and it was for a spectacular cause, so there was no harm in that. Going over her final decision one last time, she confirmed it soon after. Not like she had planned anything either way, so…

"Then if it's possible, do you think I could substitute for her?"


End file.
